A wide variety of computer mice are known, most of them sharing the common feature that they rest on a surface with a rolling ball that controls the movement of a pointer on a computer display. In addition most mice have at least two buttons, a right and a left button, for activating software and choices within software.
A variant of this type of mouse comprises an imaginary ball for the controlling of the pointer movement, based on e.g. optical determination of the mouse position on a particular surface. Another variant is designed to rest stationary on a surface and comprises a ball on its top surface, said ball being intended to be rolled by the users thumb or other fingers.
A control device for a cursor or the like of a computer is described in PCT patent application PCT/NO99/00054. The control device may comprise a (guide) stick. There is nothing in this application, however, indicating that the control device is intended for use independent of a supporting surface. To the contrary, as disclosed by the drawings, the device is designed and dimensioned for use on a supporting surface. The claims are thus generally directed to the functionality that the control device shall provide a suitable support for the hand, that is to say that the hand is supposed to rest against the control device which in turn rests against a supporting surface.
While the mice according to the prior art fulfills the tasks they are intended to in a way that is mainly satisfactory, they still are bothered with some practical disadvantages.
The most troublesome disadvantage with prior art computer mice is the pronounced tendency of strain injuries in hands and underarms connected to extensive use of such mice, commonly known as “mice strain injury”.
Other disadvantages are that they require a large free area on the desktop, an area which might otherwise be utilized for other purposes.
A further aspect with the invention is that future integration of different kinds of computer and telecom equipment will require use of such control devices (computer mice) in situations where the user is not located at an office accommodation. It should thus be mentioned that access to data networks through television and telephone will change people's habits with regards to “data” in a way such that there will be a need for other types of control devices than the types previously known.